Turkish foreign minister seeks 'new beginning' with Germany
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Turkey's foreign minister says it's time for a "new beginning" in relations with Germany as he prepares to meet his German counterpart following over a year of spiraling tensions between the NATO allies.
Germany's Sigmar Gabriel plans to host Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu Saturday in his home town, Goslar. Among other issues, a major irritant in relations has been Turkey's jailing of several German or German-Turkish nationals, including a prominent journalist, on terror-related charges.
Cavusoglu wrote in an article for Germany's Funke newspaper group Friday that "both sides have an interest in a new beginning" but that's only possible "if we break the current crisis spiral in our relationship."
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He hinted at willingness for faster legal proceedings but also urged an end to the "standstill" in Turkey's European Union accession negotiations.